Interlocking beam connectors



Jan. 10, 1967 l.. R. DowNlNG, JR

INTERLOCKING BEAM CONNECTORS Filed Feb. l5, 1964 INVENTOR LUCIEN R. DOWNINGHIR www United States Patent O 3,297,345 INTERLOCKING BEAM CONNECTORS Lucien R. Downing, Jr., Avon Lake, Ohio, assigner to Donn Products, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 344,623 3 Claims. (Cl. 287-189.316)

This invention relates to interlocking beam connectors and more particularly to interlocking beam connectors for beams having plannar web portions, and which beams are connected in end-to-end relation.

In providing for interlocking connections between beams disposed in end-to-end relation, a principal problem has been the development of suitable rigidity of the beam at the joint. This problem is compounded when it is desired to provide an interlocking connection for beams in end-to-end relation which'may also be disconnected. While structures have been made which are readily disconnected, ready disconnectability is achieved at the sacrifice of rigidity and stability during assembly. Ready disconnectability permits parts to become disconnected during assembly on handling of adjacent parts. Disconnectability is a desirable objective, from the standpoint of replacement of damaged parts or subsequent assembly of additional units, e.g. ceiling fluorescent lights. The structures of the present invention provide a rigid interlocking connection which is diflicultly disconnectable so that the parts will remain interlocked during assembly, but are nevertheless disconnectable with difficulty, and involve deformation of metal parts usually beyond the elastic limit of the metal t enable replacement of such parts when and if such might become necessary.

Briefly stated this invention includes a unique interlocking connecting means for a pair of beams in end-toend relation, where each beam has a planar web portion. The first beam 4of said pair of beams has a tongue portion which extends beyond the extremity of the web portion and lies substantially in a plane superior to 4and parallel to the plane of the web. A tongue deecting cam struck out of the plane of said Web at the proximal extremity of said tongue is in a direction inferior to the plane of said web. Struck out of the plane of said tongue toward the plane of the web and adjacent to the distal extremity of said tongue is an interlocking detent.

The second beam, when said pair of beams are in confronting relation, has a tongue portion which extends beyond the extremity of its web and lies substantially in a plane inferior to and parallel to the plane of said web. Located at the proximal extremity of said tongue and in a direction superior to the plane of the web is a tongue deliecting cam which is struck out of the plane of said web. Adjacent to the distal extremity of said tongue and struck out of the plane of said tongue toward the plane of said second web is an interlocking detent 5.

The interlocking detent adjacent to the distal extremity of each of said tongues, is adapted to coact with the corresponding cam of the opposite beam. The cams guide and force the tongues into overlapping relation. As the beams are further brought into interlocking relation, the interlocking detents, adjacent the distal ends of said tongues, spring into interlocking relation with the proximal extremities of said opposing tongues. The two beams are thus rigidly held together.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, the following description and annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but a few of the various forms in which the principle of this invention may be employed.

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3,297,345 Patented Jan. l0, 1967 In the annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric drawing of two beams in confronting relation showing the beam connectors.

FIG. 2 is an isometric View of two beams interlocked.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the beam and connector.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional View of the beam and connector taken in the plane indicated'by the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the beam and connector taken in the plane indicated by the line 5--5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the beam and connector taken in the plane indicated by the line 6 6 of FIG. 3.

Referring more particularly to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS, 1 -6, a beam 1, having a planar web portion 2, has a tongue portion 3 extending beyond the extremity of said web 2. The Vtongue portion 3 lies substantially in a plane superior to and parallel to the plane of the web 2. A tongue deflecting cam 4, struck out of the plane of said web 2, is located at the proximal end of tongue 3. Tongue deflecting cam 4 is crimped in a direction inferior to the plane of said web. Interlocking detent 5, adjacent the distal extremity of tongue 3, is struck out of the plane of said tongue 3 toward the plane of said web 2.

Beam 6, having a configuration similar to beam 1, has a tongue portion 7 extending beyond the extremity of its web portion 8. Tongue portion 7 lies substantially in a plane inferior to and parallel to the plane of web portion 8. Tongue deflecting cam 9, located at the proximal extremity of tongue 7, is struck out of the plane of said web 8 in a direction superior to the plane of web 8. Interlocking detent 11, adjacent the distal extremity of tongue 7, is struck out of the plane of said tongue 7 toward the plane of web 8. Distal ends 12 and 13 of tongue portions 7 and 3 respectively, are guided into interlocking relation `as shown in FIG. 2 by the tongue deflecting cams 4 and 9 respectively. Beams 1 and 6 are held in interlocking relation (FIG. 2) by detents 11 and 5 coacting with the proximal extremities 14 and 15 of tongue portions 3 and 7 respectively. As seen in FIG. l, the tongue portions and the tongue deflecting cams of the two beams 1 and 6, have the same configuration, but are oppositely disposed when said beams 1 and 6 are in confronting relation.

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 show more clearly the configuration of the tongue portion, the tongue defiecting cam and the interlocking detents. These drawings also show more clearly the planes of the various members in respect to the planar web portion of the beam.

The interlocking tongue portions are defined at their top and bottom marginal edges by the four surfaces 16, 17, 18 and 19, shown in FIG. 1. At the upper and lower proximal extremities of surfaces 16, 17 and 18, 19 are bearing surfaces 23, 24 and 21, 22 respectively. The tongue portions 3 and 7 are -forced diagonally across the web bearing surfaces 21, 22 and 23, 24 by the opposing cams 9 and 4. The bearing surfaces are parallelograms rather than square, thus providing greater than normal bearing area which, in turn, give a joint, capable of sup-l porting the beam load over a larger area, or a larger load without beam deformation at the point of intersection. Because of the simple structure of the tongue portion, the tongue deflecting cams, and the interlocking detent, the manufacture of this interlocking beam connector is greatly simplified. A pair of interlocking beam connectors can be made by simply punching one interlocking beam conncetor from one side of the web of a beam, and then punching the other interlocking beam connector from the opposite side of the web of a beam. When the two beams are brought into confronting relation, the configurations of the confronting tongues are similar but oppositely disposed and adapted to be brought into interlocking relation.

Although the invention is described in relation to a beam having monolaterally extending flange portions, the description is not meant to limit the invention thereto. The invention can be used with beams having bilaterally extending anges, beaded ilanges, or any combination thereof. The invention is readily adapted to beams having planar web portions with any type ange configurations.

Other modes of applying the principle of this invention may be employed instead of those specifically set forth above, changes being made as regards the details herein disclosed, provided the elements set forth in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such be employed.

It is, therefore, particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as the invention:

1. An integral connector for a structural beam, said beam including a web portion defining longitudinally extending spaced parallel marginal edges, said connector including a tongue portion extending beyond the extremity of the web portion and integral therewith, and lying substantially in a plane displaced from, and parallel to the plane of said web, said tongue portion having a distal and a proximal marginal edge, the proximal marginal edge of said tongue being substantially normal to said longitudinal marginal edges of said web, said web having a slot adjacent said proximal edge of said tongue, said slot being dimensioned to receive a corresponding but oppositely disposed tongue of another beam, means disposed adjacent the slot for deecting and guiding the corresponding but oppositely disposed tongue of said another beam through the slot and into overlapping relation with said tongue, and detent means projecting from the tongue and toward the plane of the web and disposed solely adjacent the distal edge thereof for interlockingly engaging the proximal edge of a corresponding, oppositely disposed and overlapped tongue thereby providing the sole means for holding the beams together.

2. The integral connector of claim 1, wherein the tongue detlecting and guiding means includes a cam projecting from the plane of the web, and in a direction opposed to the direction in which the tongue projects from the plane of the web.

3. Means for interlockingly connecting a pair of beams having aligned planar web portions with longitudinally extending spaced parallel marginal edges, in abutting endto-end relation, said means including in each of said pair of beams:

(a) a tongue portion extending from the abutting web extremity of Said beam, and lying substantially in a plane superior to and parallel to the aligned planes of said webs, the tongue having a distal edge, and a proximal edge which is substantially normal to said longitudinally extending marginal edges of the web of said beam;

(b) a slot disposed in the web of said beam adjacent the proximal edge of said tongue, said slot being dimensioned to receive the corresponding but oppositely disposed tongue of the other of said pair of beams;

(c) a cam projecting out of the plane of said web `adjacent the proximal edge of said tongue and in a direction inferior to the plane of said web;

(d) interlocking detent means projecting out of the plane of said tongue solely adjacent the distal extremity of said tongue and toward the plane of the web, said detent means projecting back toward the plane of said webs,

the cams directing the tongues through opposing slots in the webs to bring said tongues into overlapped relation and position the respective detent means for interlocking engagement with the proximal marginal edges of opposing tongues thereby providing the sole means for holding the beams together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,247,938 1l/19l7 Curtenius 287-103 2,598,152 5/1952 Wright et al. 2,924,311 2/1960 Brown 189-36 3,221,466 12/1965 Downing et al 52-726 CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS F. CALLAGHAN, Examiner. I. B. TLTON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN INTEGRAL CONNECTOR FOR A STRUCTURAL BEAM, SAID BEAM INCLUDING A WEB PORTION DEFINING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SPACED PARALLEL MARGINAL EDGES, SAID CONNECTOR INCLUDING A TONGUE PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND THE EXTREMITY OF THE WEB PORTION AND INTEGRAL THEREWITH, AND LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN A PLANE DISPLACED FROM, AND PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID WEB, SAID TONGUE PORTION HAVING A DISTAL AND A PROXIMAL MARGINAL EDGE, THE PROXIMAL MARGINAL EDGE OF SAID TONGUE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID LONGITUDINAL MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID WEB, SAID WEB HAVING A SLOT ADJACENT SAID PROXIMAL EDGE OF SAID TONGUE, SAID SLOT BEING DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE A CORRESPONDING BUT OPPOSITELY DISPOSED TONGUE OF ANOTHER BEAM, MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT THE SLOT FOR DEFLECTING AND GUIDING THE CORRESPONDING BUT OPPOSITELY DISPOSED TONGUE OF SAID ANOTHER BEAM THROUGH THE SLOT AND INTO OVERLAPPING RELATION WITH SAID TONGUE, AND DETENT MEANS PROJECTING FROM THE TONGUE AND TOWARD THE PLANE OF THE WEB AND DISPOSED SOLELY ADJACENT THE DISTAL EDGE THEREOF FOR INTERLOCKINGLY ENGAGING THE PROXIMAL EDGE OF A CORRESPONDING, OPPOSITELY DISPOSED AND OVERLAPPED TONGUE THEREBY PROVIDING THE SOLE MEANS FOR HOLDING THE BEAMS TOGETHER. 